Surprising Aftermath
by Kereea
Summary: Furuichi is in for a few surprises after the Upstarts are fully dealt with. Spoilers for chapter 218 and prior. Oneshot.


A/N: Just a oneshot detailing my predictions for how things might go by the end of the arc. I like both Hime and Furu as characters, but Hime's awesome plan had holes that need some serious addressing...

.o.o.o.

Furuichi remembered stuff from before he'd gotten his soul put back in, mostly because the parts could see things that were happening. So he hadn't needed Himekawa's double-cross explained, or the hime-clones switching sides, or why everyone looked like they'd been though meat grinders. They'd all headed over to Kunieda's place to let Lamia do her thing.

He had to admit, it did his battered self some good to see Oga, being ridiculously formal in doing so, hand over command of _everyone_ to Lamina until "she says you're free to go and shit."

Himekawa had pretty much agreed to be Lamia's personal pharmacy, ordering whatever random crap she asked for. He was the only uninjured one, so it made some sense.

Still, every time he held up his phone Furuichi twitched at seeing that damn crest.

Okay, internal confession, he was not happy about that, because it meant Himekawa had always been on their side and was right back in the fold. Sure, the plan had been good and all, but that didn't mean Furuichi liked getting his heart-slash-soul ripped out like that was an acceptable risk!

He kept his breathing steady. Chiaki was watching him like a hawk for Lamina and Oga while the pink-haired girl chased down Shiroyama with peroxide (in a freaking squirt gun, that was pretty brutal, he'd admit) and Oga went for take-out of everyone (again, on Himekawa's tab).

"You feeling worse?"

"No," he told Chiaki, hoping he hadn't slipped. "Just tired. But I'm hungry so I'll wait for Oga to get back with the food."

"It's been a long night," the small girl agreed as Natsume tripped Shiroyama so Lamina could spray his cuts.

"Been full of surprises," he agreed. "I'm interested to learn what Himekawa found out when he was playing double agent. Must have been important."

Chiaka bristled slightly, "Better have."

"Huh?" Furuichi asked.

"Never mind," she said. "I think you look paler…"

"I'm fine!" Furuichi huffed.

"At least drink some water and take that iron Lamina got," Chiaki said. "Your blood was all over a hallway, according to Tojo."

"He might have over-reacted," Furuichi said. It felt a bit nice that chiaki wasn't just shrugging it off.

"He didn't. I saw it when I was running one of your soul bits back," Nene cut in. "Why do you think Lamina had you munching on all that chocolate during her exam?"

"I thought it was like in Harry Potter, to make sure I wasn't scared," Furuichi said dryly.

"Oh, is your greatest fear a stethoscope?" Nene snarked back. "You're smarter than that, idiot."

"So I'm a…smart idiot?" Furuichi asked, sipping the water so he didn't have to keep talking. It did take a bit out of him, not that he'd admit it.

Still, it was nice not to be called by any of _those_ nicknames, especially since part of him knew they were etched on the pieces of his soul (ouch…) and everyone knew it.

"Got food," Oga announced, coming out onto the porch with bags and bags of noodles, ramen, meat, and drinks. "Furuichi, got that pork recipe you like."

"Um…thanks, Oga," Furuichi said. He noticed nobody moved toward the food until Oga had passed his over and gotten his own.

Weird.

Beel was placed between Furuichi and Oga, cooing slightly as Furuichi ruffled his hair while opening the pork dish.

"Lamina, everyone cleared?" Oga called.

"Not yet!" she called back. "Kanzaki won't come off the roof!"

"Kanzaki, I have yogurt for when you get patched up!" Kunieda called, finding some in the bags.

"Smart," Furuichi told Oga as Kanzaki sulkily approached Lamina.

"I know my subjects," Oga bragged. "So, you okay?"

"Guys, Lamina said I'd be fine…"

"Yeah, medically," Oga said. He poked Furuichi on the forehead with each word. "Are. You. Okay?"

"Yes, damn it! Let me eat!" Furuichi huffed.

"The general is in a bad mood," Chiaki informed Oga.

"Aw, poor General Furuichi," Oga said.

"Done!" Lamina pronounced as Kanzaki stormed up to Kunieda for his yogurt, trying to hold onto some dignity and failing.

"All right then!" Oga said, putting his food down. "Himekawa, you know what's coming."

"Yes," Himekawa said, settling his glasses down with his ceramic plate and stunning tools.

"What?" Furuichi asked Nene.

"What's coming to him," Nene said simply.

Furuichi's jaw dropped as Oga and Tojo both pounced Himekawa. "What the hell, guys?"

"You're kidding, right?" Kanzaki asked. "If I hadn't already gotten some licks in, I'd be there too."

"I'm just a bit too tired, myself," Kunieda said. "Though a certain komainu is getting a few swipes for me anyway…"

"Koma? That's nasty, Kunieda. I like it," Lamina said.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?"

"And here Hecados called you a strategist…"

"Hilda-san!" Furuichi said.

"I was giving news to the Demon Lord on Lucifer when I was informed of what transpired thanks to Hecados," the blonde said, sitting next to Beel. "They are punishing the third knight for being an idiot, you idiot."

"We mean that Himekawa told Takamiya that the way to fight Oga was by going for his friends, but didn't think Takamiya would go as far as he did despite knowing about Lucifer," Kunieda said. "He completely forgot to factor something like that in."

"And now he's getting what's coming to him for it," Kanzaki added. "I mean, we're like the knights to the king, right? But you're the…you know, like Jafar only not evil…"

"Vizier?" Yuka offered.

"Yeah, that, that's what it was called," Kanzaki said. "So technically you outrank us in this demon-related stuff—_but only that, you hear me_?"

"What?" Furuichi asked.

"For crying out loud…" Natsume sighed. "Oga, I'll swap in for you! Furuichi needs answers!"

Oga wandered over like he wasn;t beating the tar out of an ally ten feet away. "Answers?"

"He doesn't get that he's the General," Nene said. "Go explain it or something."

Oga nodded, "Ah, okay…it's like…you know in video games, how kings or heroes have armies and shit with loyal soliders? And there's like, five of them that are the recurring characters?"

"Um, yeah?" Furuichi said.

"And one of those five is the right-hand guy? That's you. Deal with it, you're the one who said no walking behind me," Oga said. "Oi, Natsume, get back over here, I'm not done yet."

_Who said I'd walk behind you?_

Furuichi's eyes widened.

_I'd walk right beside you!_

"Thanks, guys," he said, smiling. "For real."

The beating stopped after a bit and Himekawa walked back over (with some—okay, a lot) of help from Tojo.

"Seriously, though," he said. "Sorry about not thinking he'd rip your soul out or whatever."

"Eh, it's okay. Just glad it was a miscalculation, not a 'that's okay if it happens' kind of thing," Furuichi said.

Tojo's eye twitched, "Why would that be okay?"

"You could have died!" Oga yelled.

"I vote we get him a therapist. After all, we've apparently so over-used those nicknames they scared his soul," Chiaki mused.

"I know a guy," Kanzaki said. "My brother sees him."

"I'm not seeing a shrink!" Furuichi yelled.

"Yes you are!" Oga yelled back.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"What would I tell them, idiot?" Furuichi asked. "That a demon ripped my heart out?"

"…Damn it!" Oga huffed. "Fine, but you'd better start telling me this shit. Not like, all the time like some emo dork, but when it's bad and shit."

"Guys, tell me you'll be back to normal soon," Furuichi said, digging into some desert.

Who was he kidding? He'd left normal when Oga picked up Beel on the riverbank…


End file.
